Chiwetel Ejiofor makes Hollywood’s list of 18 breakthrough stars of 2013 (Trailer)

Nigerian-British film and television actor Chiwetel Ejiofor has received widespread acclaim for his starring role in 12 Years a Slave.



The film is a 2013 British-American epic and an adaptation of the eponymous 1853 autobiography by Solomon Northup.

The actor is now a front-runner for a best actor Oscar nod and has received nominations from the Independent Spirit Awards, SAG Awards and Golden Globes, where hewas nominated for his work in a film and in a TV series (Starz’s Dancing on the Edge) in the same year.

Other stars of African-American origin, who have been noted for breakthroughs in the year, include Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Kerry Washington and Chadwick Boseman.

Jordan was known to fans of Friday Night Lights and The Wire, but he transcended this earlier popularity with the critical acclaim and awards recognition he received for his role in Fruitvale Station.

The actor has been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and won the National Board of Review’s breakthrough performance prize.

For Nyong’o, who previously worked as a production assistant on The Constant Gardener, landing the role of Patsey in 12 Years a Slave three weeks before graduating from the Yale School of Drama is a tall feat.

Since then, the best supporting actress Oscar front-runner has received the New Hollywood Award at the Hollywood Film Awards and has been nominated for the breakthrough prize at the Gotham Awards. He is also up for a Golden Globe, SAG Award and an Independent Spirit Award.

Washington went from the star of a Twitter sensation to an awards contender this year, pickingup a first Emmy nod and becoming the fifth African-American to be nominated for the best drama actress prize.

Although she didn’t win the Emmy, she ended 2013 with Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations for her work on the ABC series, which saw ratings for its third-season premiere, Jump, 71 per cent year-over-year, pulling in 10.5 million viewers.

Boseman starred in one of 2013’s surprise box-office hits, playing Jackie Robinson in 42. Following his well-received performance in Warner Bros’ baseball biopic, the actor landed the role of James Brown in another biopic, the Tate Taylor-directed Get on Up. He will next be seen in Ivan Reitman’s Draft Day, starring Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner and Denis Leary.